Rail spike



y 1957 J. A. c. VAN DER WEYDEN 2,797,876

Filed Nov. 24, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 2, 1957 J. A. c. VAN DERWEYDEN RAIL SPIKE Filed Nov. 24, 1955 FIG.4

J y 1957' J. A. c. VAN DER WEYDEN 2,797,876

RAIL SPIKE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov. 24, 1953 .FIG.6

tr-ed nan srnm Claims priority, application Netherlands November 26,1952 Claims. (Cl. 238-349) Rail spikes serve the purpose to secure railsto sleepers.

Experience teaches that a device for securing a rail to a base orsleeper should be resilient as well in upward as in downward direction.

It has been found that taking this experience into account it is alsovery useful to make the means for securing the rail in such a mannerthat their resiliency can be varied.

In known constructions this result can be only achieved by varying thelength of arms connecting a cross piece engaging the rail and the leg orlegs of a spike. Said legs are driven in the sleepers.

The invention provides a rail spike comprising other and better meansfor varying its resiliency, if desired.

The spike according to the invention comprises two legs which areresiliently connected with a cross piece adapted to urge a rail againsta sleeper, each connection between a leg and the cross piece beingshaped as one or more helicoidal windings, all the windings having acommon axis.

In such a spike the lever arm between the windings and the place ofcontact with the secured rail and the diameter of the windings can bekept constant, such that the bending moment on the spike whilstmaintaining the clamping force on the rail remains unaltered. Byincreasing the number of the windings however the resiliency of thespike may be varied.

In spikes according to the invention the stresses in the spike materialmay be reduced by increasing the number of windings which also gives thegreater resiliency.

The spike according to the invention may be made from rod-shapedmaterial having a circular or oval cross section or a square,rectangular or polygonal cross section.

Said cross section has preferably rounded corners.

A further advantage of the spike according to the invention is that itcan be driven in the rail base or sleeper and drawn therefrom withoutthe necessity of driving or bringing the legs of the spike in aninclined position which would cause undesired widening of the holes inthe sleeper into which the leg are driven.

The spikes may be driven in and removed by means of an apparatus and arod inserted in the windings. Said rod guides the legs perpendicularlyto the sleeper.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a spike according to the lnvention inengagement with a rail;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a spike according to Fig. 1;

Figures 3 and 4 represent another embodiment of a spike according to theinvention in side elevation and plan view respectively; and

Figures 5 and 6 illustrate a third embodiment in side elevation and planview respectively.

All the spikes illustrated have two legs 1 and 2 and a cross piece 3which is shaped as a loop with parallel arms and at 4 contacts a rail 5.Said rail is kept in position on a sleeper. The arms of the loop mayconverge in line with the pitch direction of the windings such on behalfof an easier manufacture. Between the cross piece 3 and the legs anumber of helicoidal windings 7 having all a common axis are provided.

In Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 there are two windings between each leg and thecross piece 3, whereas in Figures 5 and 6 only a single winding isprovided.

In Figures 3 and 4 the common axis of the windings is in the planethrough the legs.

According to Figures 5 and 6 a resili nt clip 20 is mounted between thespike and a base plate 21 for the rail 5. The clip is prevented frombeing pushed aside and from slanting by the arms of the loop 3 which inthis case are parallel. The rail can be removed without the necessity ofdrawing out the spikes.

The clip 20 can be removed by lifting the loop 3 by means of aclaw-wrench. Then it may be pulled towards the rear.

What I claim is:

1. A rail holder for holding a rail against a base member comprising twoparallel legs adapted for being driven into the base member and aconnecting member integral with said legs and comprising two helicalsprings each having an end connected to one of said legs and an endremote therefrom, and an intermediate rail flange engaging memberconnected to said remote ends and extending therefrom to one side of thecommon plane containing said legs, said springs being oppositely woundon a common axis parallel to said common plane in a direction to tightenthe coils thereof with said legs driven into the base member, and atleast half of the circular cross-section of said springs being situatedto the other side of said plane.

2. A rail holder as in claim 1 wherein said helical springs are situatedwholly on said other side of said plane.

3. A rail holder as in claim 1 wherein said common axis is contained insaid common plane.

4. A rail holder as in claim 1 wherein said intermediate member is ofU-shape comprising a leg connected to each of said springs and a railflange engaging bight.

5. A rail holder for holding a rail against a base member comprising twoparallel legs adapted for being driven into the base member, two helicalsprings, each having an end connected to one of said legs and an endremote therefrom, and an intermediate rail flange engaging memberconnected to said remote ends and extending therefrom to one side of thecommon plane containing said legs, said springs being oppositely woundon a common axis parallel to said common plane in a direction to tightenthe coils thereof with said legs driven into the base member, and atleast half of the circular cross-section of said springs being situatedto the other side of said plane, said intermediate member having aU-shape and comprising a leg connected to each of said springs and arail flange engaging bight; and a resilient clip comprising an endportion extending underneath, said bight in contact with a rail flange,a central portion extending between the legs of said U-shaped member andbetween said springs, and a support portion remote from said endportion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS469,911 Krimer Mar. 1, 1892 1,192,631 Hick July 25, 1916 1,192,655 LyonsJuly 25, 1916 1,673,185 Des Combs June 12, 1928 2,162,365 Willard June13, 1939 2,209,552 Armstrong July 30, 1940 2,287,843 Tvrzicky June 30,1942 FOREIGN PATENTS 53,586 Netherlands Aug. 7, 1939

